Yoke.



W. J. REGAN.

YOKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 7. 1917.

1 @736 869 Q Patented Aug. 14, 1917:.

i w l I w J /@J 6 Vi Wwoo M @NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. REGAN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCCONWAY & TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN SYLVANIA.

YOKE.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, l/ViLLIAM J. REGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yokes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the construction of draft rigging yokes or pocket-straps, and particularly to such as are intended to be pivotally connected to a car coupler by a tail pin. The principal objects of the invention are to provide a strong, durable and efficient yoke which is simple in construction, and easily manufactured, and which is adapted to be connected to the rear end of a car coupler in a manner insuring long con tinued integrity of the connection under service conditions.

Generally stated, these objects are accomplished by connecting the forward ends of the branches of the yoke between which the draft rigging followers are received by means of spaced braces integrally uniting said yoke branches at their sides, and by providing, intermediate of said branches and integrally connected to said braces, a reinforcing member that is adapted to enter the slot or bifurcation of a car coupler having a bifurcated rear end, the yoke branches and the intermediate reinforcing member being formed with alined perforations adapted to receive a tail pin forming a pivotal connec tion between the coupler and the yoke, and the recesses or spaces into which the bifurcated rear end of the coupler extends being in open communication longitudinally with the space between the branches of the yoke in which the followers operate, to thereby permit the rear end of the coupler to contact directly with the front follower in buffing and thus relieve the yoke and tail pin from all buffing strains and shocks.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a draft rigging yoke embodying my invention, showing its relation to a car coupler and to the followers.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d A 14 1917 Application filed February 7, 1917.

Serial No. 147,058.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the devices illustrated in Fig. 1.

gig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 1; an

Fig. 1 is a detail view showing the forward end of the yoke and the rear end of the coupler in vertical central section.

In the drawings, the rear end of the car coupler is shown as being of well known bifurcated type consisting of similar arms or plates 1, 1 which are spaced apart or separated at their rear ends and provided at their inner ends with alined perforations 2 (see Fig. 4) which are adapted to receive a tail pin 3 by which the coupler and yoke are pivotally connected. As shown, the tail pin, which is headed, may be retained in assembled position by means of a cotter t.

The yoke 5 is formed with upper and lower parallel branches 6, 6, between which followers 7, 7 are adapted to operate in the usual manner. It is preferred to integrally connect the rear ends of the branches 6 of the yoke by means of an end member 8 which, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is

preferably cupped or recessed on opposite.

sides, as at 9, 9, so as to make the connecting member 8 I-shaped in cross section.

lVhen in normal position the rear follower bears against the forward face of the connecting member 8 and the forward follower directly contacts the rear ends 10' of the arms or plates 1, l forming the bifurcated stem of the car coupler, as will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2. As shown, the rear ends 10 of the coupler arms 1, 1 are preferably somewhat curved or rounded.

The forward ends of the branches 6 of the yoke are preferably widened. They are connected at their sides by parallel braces 11, 11 which are cast integral therewith. Intermediate of the branches 6, the yoke is provided with a reinforcing member 12 which extends between and is integrally united to the braces 11. The spaces or recesses formed on opposite sides of a rein forcing member 12 and bounded by the branches 6 of the yoke and the braces 11 are in open communication longitudinally with the spaces between the branches of the yoke in which the followers 7 operate. The. rear ends of the arms or plates 1, 1 of the bifurcated coupler stem are thus enabled to engage the forward follower 7 during buffing operations of the device, therebyrelieving the tail pin 3 and yoke 5 from all balling strains and shocks. Draft strains are communicated to the yoke 5 from the stem of the car coupler through the intermediacy of the tail pin 3 which, during such an operation, is in quadruple shear.

It will be noted that the braces 11, ll, being on opposite sides and adjacent to the perforations 13, 13 in the branches 6 for the reception of the tail pin 3 and being similarly located with respect to the corresponding perforation 1d of the reinforcing member 12, serve to reinforce the yoke at a point at which it is weakened by the said perforae tions. The reinforcing member 12 is thickened intermediate of its ends or points of junction with the upright braces 11, such thickening being preferably in the form of bosses 15, 15 on the upper and under surfaces respectively of the member 12 bordering the opening lat therein for the tail pin 3.

I claim:

1. A draft rigging yoke, said yoke having branches adapted to receive followers between them, and being provided at its forward end and intermediate of and integrally connected to said branches with a member adapted to extend into the bifurcation of a car coupler having a bifurcated rear end, said branches and said intermediate member having alined perforations adapted to receive coupler connecting means, and the spaces between said intermediate member and each of said branches of the yoke opening into the follower receiving space between said branches to thereby permit the rear end of the coupler to engage the front follower.

2. A draft rigging yoke, said yoke having branches adapted to receive followers between them, the forward ends of said branches being rigidly united by braces arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the yoke, and said yoke having a reinforcing member im'zermediate of said branches and connecting said parallel braces, said branches and said reinforcing member being provided with alined perforations adapted to receive a pin for connecting a car coupler to said yoke.

23. A draft rigging yoke, said yoke having branches adapted to receive followers between them, the ends of said branches being integrally united at their forward ends by connecting braces, and said yoke having a reinforcing member intermediate of said branches and integrally united to said braces and adapted to extend into the bifurcation of a car coupler having a bifurcated rear end, said reinforcing member being thickened between its ends.

it. A draft rigging yoke, said yoke having.

branches adapted to receive followers between them, the forward ends of said branches being connected at their sides by spaced braces integrally united to said yoke branches, and a reinforcing member intermediate of said branches and integrally connected to said braces, said reinforcing member being adapted to enter the bifurcation of a car coupler ln ving a bifurcated rear end, the spaces between said reinforcing member and said branches opening into the follower receiving space between said branches to thereby permitthe coupler to engage the front follower, and said branches and said reinforcing member being provided between said braces with alined perforations adapted to receive a pin for connecting the coupler to the yoke.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ILLIAM J. REGAN.

Copies '0: this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

